Railroad frog



L. M. LEEDO M RAILROAD FROG Filed Oct. 4, 192a INVENTOR 58- PatentedJuly 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES LAURIEM. LEEDOM, OF TRENTON; NEW JERSEY.

RAILROAD FROG.

Application filed October 4, 1926. Serial No. 139,455.

The object of this invention is to provide a railroad frog of novelconstruction which when in service will not require the presence of theusual guard rails to ensure the passage of the flanges of the wheels ofcars and engines on the proper. sides of the point portion of the frogas such wheels pass over the frog from the wing rails toward the heel ofthe frogithereby saving the time and expense incident to theinstallation and maintenance of the guard rails.

The invention resides in the novel con struction and relativearrangement of the parts of the frog as will be hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention,

Figure 1 is a plan of a railroad frog constructed in accordance with myinvention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the frog on line 22 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, I have illustrated the invention in a frog of the hardmetal center type wherein 3 designates the hard metal center, 4'and 5the wing rails and 6 and 7 the stock rails.

The hard metal center 3 is embraced by the wing rails 4 and 5 which aresecured thereto in the usual, well known manner, and it has formedthereon the point portion 8 of the frog and the lateral tread portions 9and 10 on the respective sides of the frog throat 11 and formingcontinuations of the heads or tread portions of the wing rails 4 and 5.The stock rails 6 and 7 are secured to the respective sides of the hardmetal center 3 and form continuations of the point portion 8 extendingfrom the heel end thereof.

The sides 12 and 13 of the heads of the wing rail 4 and the stock rail 7are alined with each other on the gauge line 14 at one side of arailroad track. and face the way traversed by the flanges of the wheelspassing over the rails 4 and 7; and the sides15 and 16 of the wing rail5 and the stock rail 6 are alined with each other on the gauge line 17at one side of another railroad track, and face the way traversed by theflanges of wheels passing over the rails 5 and 6.

When herein I refer to a gauge lineI mean one of two parallel lineswhich define the normal distance between the inner or wheel-flangeengaging sides of the heads of two parallel track rails; and when hereinI describe a part as being located out wardly of a gauge'line, I mean onthat side thereof which is outwardly of the space between it and itscompanion parallel gauge lino; therefore, outwardly of the gauge line 14would be above the same, and outwardly of. the gauge line 17 would bebelow the same. a a r a The point end 18 of the frog point portion 8 islocated outwardly of and in spaced relation to each of the two gaugelines 14 and 17, and the sides 19 and 20 of the point portion 8 formcontinuations of the sides 16 and 13 of the heads of the stock rails 6and 7' and are located outwardly of and in spaced relation to theirrespective gauge lines 17 and 14 at the point end 18 of the pointportion 8, and the sides 19 and 20 are gradually tapered from the pointend 18 of-the point portion 8 toward the heel end of the frog and towardthe gauge lines 17 and 14, until they join the same or join the sides 16and 13 of the heads of the rails 6 and 7 respectively, as shown in Fig.1.

I have discovered that by constructing a frog with the sides and pointend of its point portion related to the gauge lines of the wing railsand stock rails of the frog. as herein shown and described, the guardrails usually employed adjacent to and in: war'dly of the track railsopposite to the respective sides of the frog throat and point portion,to prevent the flanges of wheels passing over the frog from the wingrails 4 and 5 toward the heel of the frog from taking the wrong side ofthe point portion 8. may be eliminated without incurring any or muchdanger. particularly in yards and other places where slow movement oftraffic prevails: because the path of travel of the wheels along thetrack rails and over the frog is governed by the parallel rails of thecrossing tracks and also by the trucks or other parts of cars or enginesmaintaining pairs of axles of the wheels in parallel relationship. sothat there is l ttle danger of a wheel being swerved out of its normalpath sufliciently to throw its flange outside of the gauge line to agreater extent than the space between it and the adjacent side of thepoint portion at the point end thereof, as the flange crosses the openflangeway between a hard metal extension 9 or 10 of a wing rail 4 or 5and the point portion 8 during the short distance of travel of theflange between such hard metal extension and the point port-ion where itis ungoverned and unprotected by a guard rail on the opposite side ofthe track.

I claim as my invent-ion 1. In a railroad fro a point portion, a wingrail spaced from t 1e point portion, and a stock rail forming acontinuationrrof one side of the heel end of the point portion, saidrails having alined flangeway-facing sides on a gauge line, and saidpoint portion having a side facing said fiangeway and positionedoutwardly of and in spaced relation to said gauge line at the point endof said portion. V

2. In a railroad frog, a point portion, a wing rail spaced from thepoint portion, and a stock rail forming a, continuation of one side ofthe heel end of the point portion, said rails having alinedfiangeway-facing sides on a gauge line, and said point portion havingits point end positioned outwardly of and in spaced relation to saidgage line and having a side facing said ngewa and gradually taperingfrom the I point on of said portion to said line.

3. In a railroad frog, a point portion,

ing alined fiangeway-facing sides .on two auge lines which cross eachother and pass t e respective sides of the point portion,

and the respective sides of the point end of said portion beingpositioned outwardly of and in spaced relation to the respective gaugelines which they face.

4. In a railroad frog, a point portion, wing rails spaced from the pointportion, and stock rails forming continuations of the heel end of thepoint portion, said rails having alined fiangeway-facing sides on twogauge lines which cross each other and pass the respective sides of thepoint portion, and the point end of said ortion being positionedoutwardly of an in spaced relation to the respective gaugelines, and therespective sides of said portion being gradually tapered from the pointend thereof to their respective gauge lines.

In testimony whereof I afl'ix my signature.

LAURIE M. LEEDOM.

